I’m getting older now and pop culture is running me over like Scott Cousins did to Buster Posey. I manage people who are much younger/hip than me and sometimes I have to take a step back to figure out what the hell they’re talking about. I’m just getting used to the whole ‘smiley face’ thing…I can’t handle all these acronyms. We’re not trying to retake Omaha Beach people; we don’t need all this secret code! I thought learning Morse Code was hard; this stuff will kick your tail. But it has given me a great idea (you may think it stinks, but I’m the one with the laptop…SUCKERS!). We’re through one third of the season and it’s a good time to reflect. So I’m introducing Vinnie’s first installment of the “Acronym Awards”. These awards go to the Brave that best fits the acronym that any 8 year old knows. We’ll visit these from time to time and have a few laughs (it will be nice to laugh at something other than Dan Uggla’s offensive numbers).

GR8 (great) – Martin Prado. Nuff said. This cat is leading the Braves in several categories and is clearly the team’s MVP. Without Prado and his versatility and work ethic, the Bravos would be lost.

OMG (oh my gosh) – Jair Jurrjens. If this guy is keeps this up, the National Media will actually stop talking about Roy Halladay and give JJ the Cy Young Award. An ERA of 1.51 and WHIP of 1.02??? Dude…OMG J

CYA (cover your a**) – Alex Gonzalez. Gonzo is covering up half the infield. He has saved several runs this year with his spectacular plays and he cover more ground than Amtrak (and wrecks much less frequently).

SOL (sh** out of luck) – Craig Kimbrel. He’s a disaster waiting to happen OR a total stud. Bad news for him is that even though he should be a great closer…Jonny Venters IS better. So CK needs to be worried and might just be SOL.

XXOO (hug and kisses) – Eric Hinske. Ok…I’m not really thinking about giving this guy hugs and kisses because I have an emotional attachment to my teeth and spleen. But is there anyone you’d rather have pinch hit or spot start for the Braves right now? Please see my earlier missive about my boy Hinske to see how much this guy ROCKS!

WTF (what the f***) – Dan Uggla. I only need to explain this to you if you’re not a baseball fan or don’t follow sports at all. Uggla was to be our slugger for the next 5 years and along with Heyward…our team’s big wigs. I still think he’s going to be great for the Braves, but it’s not good how things look right now. I didn’t think anyone would give me heartburn when they came to the plate like Frency did, but Uggla is coming REAL close.

STBY (sucks to be you) – Tommy Hanson. “Big Red” was going to be our ace in the rotation. I think his true nickname needs to be “Big Disappointment So Far”. He reminds me so much of Tom Glavine. If Glavine could avoid that HUGE inning, he was really tough to beat. Hanson is the same way. He struggles early and lacks bravado on the mound. I’d like to see more passion from him on the bump. He came up the big club with such fanfare…now, not so much in 2011.

BTW (by the way) – David Ross. BTW, there’s no better back-up catcher in MLB. Ross is a leader, a positive influence on the club AND has made Brain McCann a really good defensive catcher when it comes to throwing out runners. Ross is so solid and a great part of the team.

DBEYR (don’t believe everything you read) – Jason Heyward. JayHey has this year to prove he’s the real deal. If he keeps getting put on the DL and batting .214 with an OBP of .317…he’ll be the new Jeff Francoeur, not the new Hank Aaron.

FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Disinformation) – Fredi Gonzalez. I LOVED the hire of Fredi, but now I’m not so sure. He seems to make changes much more than Bobby Cox did, but some of his decisions have been real head scratchers. It would be VERY difficult for me to lament for Bobby Cox, but Fredi is making me think differently so far.

IMHO (in my humble opinion) – Brian McCann. Mac may turn out to be one of the GREATEST Atlanta Braves players ever. If you had two ‘Mount Rushmore’, one for pitchers and one for every day players…Big Mac may end up being one of those faces. Hank Aaron, Dale Murphy, Brain McCann are the three that come to mind.

TTFN (ta ta for now) – Vinnie. I’ll talk y’all next week. Enjoy!

If you want more of my shenanigans during the week, follow me on Twitter @yourdailyvinnie. Thanks!